SeeByte Systems

SeeByte to Participate in the Royal Navy’s Unmanned Warrior Exercise

29 September 2016 – SeeByte will demonstrate software solutions for unmanned systems as part of the Royal Navy’s Unmanned Warrior exercise. The exercise will feature over 50 vehicles, sensors and systems and aims to demonstrate never-seen-before capabilities in the field of autonomy and unmanned systems.

SeeByte’s software forms the core components of the Hell Bay 4 and MCM Challenge elements of Unmanned Warrior. The aim of these exercises is to develop and push the capabilities of autonomous systems, squad control and demonstrate how they may be applicable to defence applications.

As part of the MCM Theme, SeeByte is partnered with BAE Systems, QinetiQ and Thales to demonstrate the Maritime Autonomous Platform Exploitation (MAPLE) project. SeeByte has enhanced its fleet management system to provide enhanced autonomous capabilities for UUVs as its contribution for this project. This is a critical capability required in order to field UUVs alongside other assets.

MAPLE enables control of a fleet of UUVs from a single workstation, fully integrated with the RN deployed Combat Management System, through definition available assets, mission goals and objectives and no-go areas. This is a much simpler process than having to define long sequences of waypoints for each of the UUVs. Fleet operators will also be able to adapt the paths and behaviours of the vehicles in the squad according to feedback from the environment.

Adapting to the environment is a critical part of the technology capability which will be demonstrated during Hell Bay 4 which is run in conjunction with The Technical Cooperation Program. TTCP is an international organization that collaborates in a number of areas: defence scientific and technical information exchange, program harmonization and alignment, and shared research activities for the governments of United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

In Hell Bay 4 SeeByte will be supporting the US Navy Lab of Space & Naval Warfare Systems Command Warfare Center Systems Center Pacific (SPAWAR-SSCPAC), the Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) and the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Lab (Dstl).  SeeByte’s Neptune software will form the basis of the autonomy engine of the Maritime Architecture Framework (MAF) to facilitate autonomous collaboration between unmanned assets from multiple nations. MAF provides advanced autonomous capabilities and allows fleets of UXVs, both surface and subsurface, to be managed from a single command station. The main focus will be over-the-horizon multi-squad operations allowing autonomous marine assets, both subsea and surface, to communicate and report on shore via an unmanned aerial vehicle. SeeByte will also be providing signal processing solutions for Automatic Target Recognition of live sidescan feeds.

SeeByte and ASV Form Partnership to Develop the Next Generation of Adaptive Autonomous Systems

7 March 2016 - SeeByte, the global leader in creating smart software technology for unmanned systems and ASV, leading supplier of Unmanned and Autonomous Marine Systems, are pleased to announce a commercial partnership where the two companies will collaborate to bring new advanced capabilities and solutions to the field of maritime autonomy.

This agreement sees SeeByte and ASV build upon previous collaborative work to develop the next generation of adaptive autonomy by working together across the fleet of ASV platforms and SeeByte’s software solutions. SeeByte’s smart software can be integrated onto unmanned vehicles to offer adaptive autonomy. This allows vehicles to react and adapt their missions according to feedback from their sensors and to collaborate with other vehicles in the fleet.

Ioseba Tena, Sales Manager at SeeByte, commented “We have had a very close working relationship with ASV which has seen us develop and demonstrate many innovative autonomous capabilities. This partnership essentially formalises our commitment to join our capabilities to continue bringing new autonomous solutions to the market”.

Dan Hook, Managing Director at ASV, said “We have identified a number of opportunities across many of our market sectors, including oil & gas, oceanography and defence, where a partnership with SeeByte will be of benefit. Integrating SeeByte’s software technology with the ASView Control System and ASV platforms will provide us with the technical and commercial muscle to pursue new innovative solutions”. 

SeeByte to Demo Three Autonomy Systems at Pax River

14 September 2015 - SeeByte, a producer of smart software for unmanned maritime systems, will be attending the Pax River Event at Naval Air Station Patuxent River from the 12th to the 25th of September 2015.

SeeByte will have a large presence at Pax River with seven members of the team present, including CEO Dr. Bob Black and SeeByte Inc. director Jon Wood who will both be attending the VIP day. SeeByte will be demonstrating new autonomous capabilities for unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) in collaboration with several international partners. SeeByte has developed autonomy platforms enabling multi-vehicle collaboration and inter-fleet communications, as well as autonomous solutions for Mine Counter Measures.

Bob Black, CEO of SeeByte, commented “There have been many advancements in autonomous UUV technology over the last few years, and here at SeeByte we are proud to be at the forefront of these developments. Attending the Pax River event is a great opportunity for us, not only to demonstrate our capabilities, but also to work closely with our clients to ensure SeeByte is well positioned to meet their future needs”.

The Pax River event is sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and will involve 150 participants and 26 technology teams and unmanned systems to provide demonstrations of UUV technology. 

SeeByte Successfully Completes Autonomous Ocean Sampling Demo

1 April 2015 - SeeByte has successfully completed a demonstration of its Phase 1 contract awarded by the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI). The program provides a flexible Autonomy Framework for the range of oceanographic and environmental scenarios outlined in the SBRI Adaptive Autonomous Ocean Sampling Networks (AAOSN) request.

 An on-water demonstration of the MAF (Maritime Autonomy Framework) integration onto the ASV C-Enduro was held in Stokes Bay, Gosport. The event was attended by senior military personnel and members of the maritime scientific community. Attendees were briefed on the use of MAF, and how it is facilitating the expansion and technology cross-over between maritime security and marine science. The framework has a wide range of applications from oil spill detection to autonomous tagged fish tracking behaviours.

SeeByte to Provide UK MOD with Autonomy Demonstration 

3 March 2015 - SeeByte has announced an order from the United Kingdom's (UK) Ministry Of Defence (MOD) Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) to deliver a maritime autonomy demonstration system.

The demonstration system will consist of UUVs equipped with SeeByte's SeeTrack Neptune software, an open architecture enabling autonomous multi-vehicle collaboration. The systems will be integrated with the UK's Maritime Autonomy Framework (MAF) developed under Dstl funding. They enable the UK to develop next generation over-the-horizon capabilities. Delivery will be to the Royal Navy Maritime Autonomous Systems Trials Team (RN MASTT).

The order consists of three Iver3 UUVs manufactured by OceanServer Technology Inc. and equipped with L-3 Klein 3500 bathy and side-scan sonars. They will also be equipped with WHOI Micro Modem 2 systems. The navigation will be provided by Teledyne RDI DVLs and KVH Fibre Optic Gyros. Each AUV will be equipped with SeeByte's SeeTrack Neptune and on-board Automatic Target Recognition (ATR). The ATR software can be tuned to recognise new targets, effectively adapting to challenges faced by Mine Countermeasure (MCM) task groups.

Alastair Cormack from SeeByte said, "This new generation of autonomous systems should serve to inform in the development of a joint MCM and Hydrography capability equipped with off-board assets. They should also help research and develop uses to support other future naval capabilities, such as the MHC and the Type 26 Frigate". 

SeeTrack Neptune can be run through SeeTrack Military, the leading technology used by Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and Clearance Divers around the world, to achieve success in managing their off-board assets during dangerous and demanding missions. 

SeeByte Awarded Contract for Ocean Sampling Networks 

30 January 2015 - SeeByte has been awarded a contract by the UK's Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI). This contract is to undertake work in collaboration with Autonomous Surface Vehicles (ASV), a manufacturer of unmanned marine systems, and the Marine Biological Association of the UK. The work seeks to provide a flexible Autonomy Framework for the range of oceanographic and environmental scenarios outlined in the SBRI Adaptive Autonomous Ocean Sampling Networks (AAOSN) call.

The project, funded by the Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC), Innovate UK and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), aims to provide an open software tool-set and user interface that will enable improved use of autonomous systems for scientific research. Using SeeByte's SeeTrack Neptune, which already forms the basis of UK Maritime Autonomy Framework (MAF), the intended outcome is for autonomous maritime systems to adapt and change to the external environment and mission requirements. The initial target platform will be ASV's C-Enduro vehicle managed by the UK's National Oceanography Centre.

Chris Haworth, Business Development Manager, at SeeByte commented "At SeeByte we are delighted to received funding from SBRI for this project. We believe at SeeByte that autonomous systems have the potential to completely change how marine operations are conducted and become the vehicle of choice for a wide range of functions".

SeeTrack Neptune is an adaptive planning tool for optimising the execution of AUV operations. It supports high-level goal-based mission descriptions and allows the matching of mission requirements against vehicle(s) capabilities. SeeTrack Neptune also includes behaviours capable of adapting the mission based on changes in the environment, assets and mission objectives; benefits which will be useful for future unmanned operations.

SeeByte Automatic Target Recognition Software Now Compatible with L-3 Klein Associates Sonar  

31 October 2014 - SeeByte has successfully demonstrated their Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) software using a L-3 Klein Associates sonar payload (L-3 Klein UUV 3500, dual frequency 455/900 kHz) on an Iver-3 vehicle.

This process involved the ATR software being tuned to the Klein sonar in order for the software to be able to identify contacts of interest in the sonar data. The tuning of the sonar was done using settings commonly applied in mine countermeasures (MCM) missions. Once the mission was completed the data was imported into SeeTrack Military where the Mission Review Tool was used to mark and measure contacts. The geo-referencing engine was used to visualize all relevant data from that same location.

Frank Cobis, VP and General Manager at L-3 Klein commented: "We are looking forward to offering this advanced capability to our customers. Using the Klein UUV-3500 sonar with the ATR module will allow our customers to effectively collect larger quantities of data and automatically process and identify contacts. This is a huge step forward for the MCM community using our side-scan sonar."

Scott Reed, Head of Engineering at SeeByte, stated: "At SeeByte our ongoing aim is to provide our MCM customers with clear results to help them make effective decisions. We do this by offering an ATR capability that provides consistent results and is trusted by the operator. Recently we have been investing considerable efforts to make our ATR software run onboard autonomous underwater vehicles and also developing common data models to ensure integration with different sensors, such as the L-3 Klein UUV 3500 sonar."    

SeeByte's ATR software is available on SeeTrack Military, the leading technology used by Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and Clearance Divers to achieve success in managing their off-board assets during dangerous and demanding missions. SeeTrack Military is now being used by 20 navies around the world. SeeByte's ATR module has been developed to automatically highlight potential targets captured within the sensor data and present these to the operator. The ATR software can be tuned to recognise new targets, effectively adapting to the challenges faced in MCM.

National Oceanographic Centre Glider Fleet to Integrate SeeByte's SeeTrack Professional V4 to pilot Glider fleet

16 September 2014 - SeeByte is pleased to announce collaboration with the United Kingdom's National Oceanography Centre (NOC). The agreement will see SeeByte develop tools to help pilot a fleet of gliders.

As a result of UK Robot and Autonomous Systems funding, the Marine Autonomous and Robotic Systems (MARS) group in NOC has recently acquired a large fleet of gliders. These gliders are manufactured by two different companies, Teledyne and Kongsberg, and each has a separate interface and processing tools. The separate interfaces increase both operator training requirements and operational complexity.

Additions to the SeeTrack Professional software suite will allow NOC to use a common interface for all the gliders. Operators will be able to improve planning and monitoring procedures. By combining all the mission plans and monitoring in a single work station, NOC will be able to manage larger fleets of gliders without putting additional strain on the operators. Data from these missions will be consolidated on a shared database, allowing data to be easily analysed.

Dr Maaten Furlong, Head MARS group at NOC said, "At NOC we are very pleased to announce this partnership with SeeByte. This looks to be a game-changing solution which will transform the way in which we manage our growing fleet of gliders."

SeeTrack Professional is an open-architecture platform solution for rapid on-site analysis and data fusion that can be easily adapted for specific user needs. Developed as a mission-planning, monitoring, post-processing and reporting tool, this software technology has been successfully deployed on numerous surveys, military and security operations and scientific experiments.

Canada's Defense Research Center Integrates SeeByte's SeeTrack Neptune software into Unmanned Surface Vehicle

1 September 2014 - SeeByte and SeaRobotics, a leading provider of autonomous and unmanned systems, are proud to announce the integration of SeeByte's SeeTrack Neptune with SeaRobotics' family of general purpose Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV) as part of a Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) contract.

SeeByte launches SeeTrack Military V4

2 June 2014 - SeeByte, the global leader in creating smart software for unmanned maritime systems, is proud to announce the launch of SeeTrack Military V4.

SeeTrack Military, now in use by 19 world navies, is to benefit from improved capabilities. These capabilities include the ability to concurrently plan and monitor multiple missions for multiple assets from a single shared user interface. It also allows a user to post-process and store the data in a shared database and visualise it in both GIS and sensor specific displays. The software is built using a Service Orientated Architecture and provides users a simple software development kit. Operators are able to operate and integrate new AUVs, diver hand-held systems, ROVs and towfish sonars using a common interface. Military users are offered simple to use and powerful contact management databases compatible with popular tactical decision level software suites. Compatibility with Version 3 of the software is preserved.

Jon Wood, director of SeeByte Inc, said, “I am really looking forward to showing our customers the new software at our stand in Liverpool. This next version of the software sets the bar very high indeed. We have worked closely with many navies and operators and we have listened carefully to their wants and needs. I am happy to say we have delivered!”

SeeTrack Military is an open-architecture platform solution for rapid on-site analysis and data fusion that can be easily adapted for specific user needs. Developed as a mission-planning, monitoring, post-processing and reporting tool, this software technology has been successfully deployed on numerous surveys, military and security operations and scientific experiments.

Demonstrations of SeeTrack Military V4 are to take place in booth C30 at UDT, June 10th-12th in Liverpool, UK. Please contact the SeeByte sales team to arrange a slot.

Seebyte Releases New Sonar Mosaic Tool

11 February 2014 - SeeByte has today announced the launch of a new Multibeam Imaging Sonar Mosaic Tool for use with the company’s SeeTrack CoPilot software.

Users of SeeTrack CoPilot are now able to generate a multibeam imaging sonar forward-look mosaic. They can do this using a simple on/off button in the SeeTrack CoPilot interface. The tool can be used to quickly generate maps of the environment and improve ROV pilots’ situational awareness.

Dr. Mahesh Menon of Soil Machine Dynamics Ltd (SMD), a partnering company of SeeByte and leading manufacturer of Work Class ROVs, commented: “Our smart partnership with SeeByte has been great for our customers from the start, particularly with the introduction of SMD’s DVECS-S ROV control system, where CoPilot forms part of its core. With DVECS-S, pilots are able to engage autonomous functions on a ROV, such as auto cruise-control and object tracking using multi-beam sonar, which are beneficial in subsea operations, for example riser inspection, drill support and construction. We are very excited by the release of SeeByte’s sonar mosaic tool, which will further benefit our customers, enabling them to paint a map of their environment and use that map to navigate more effectively. There is currently no other capability like this in the marketplace.”

The Multibeam Imaging Sonar Mosaic Tool by SeeByte is now fully available to users of the SeeTrack CoPilot system, the world’s most advanced, easy-to-use, plug-and play software that makes piloting any ROV a much simpler task. SeeTrack CoPilot permits pilot controlled auto-transit and stop-and-hover, whilst providing automated sonar tracking and movement relative to a target.

Royal Canadian Navy Integrates New EOD Software into Unmanned Vehicles

13 January 2014 - Edinburgh-based SeeByte has successfully integrated SeeTrack Neptune with the OceanServer Iver2 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) for the use of Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC).

 The SeeTrack Neptune software provided DRDC with a platform to design its own autonomous routines for the Iver2 vehicle and to perform collaborative multi-vehicle operations with other Allied nations. The capability was demonstrated in Halifax to the Royal Canadian Navy in early October.

On behalf of DRDC, Mae Seto commented: “The integration of the SeeTrack Neptune software with the OceanServer Iver2 platform demonstrates the flexibility of running this software on an AUV manufactured by a different vendor than in the past. This flexibility, and the inherent interoperability that follows, is a factor in the future of Navy-run AUV technology, and being able to demonstrate this to our Royal Canadian Navy customer was an achievement.”

SeeTrack Neptune is an adaptive planning tool for optimizing the execution of AUV operations. It supports high-level goal-based mission descriptions and allows the matching of mission requirements against vehicle(s) capabilities. SeeTrack Neptune also includes behaviors capable of adapting the mission based on changes in the environment, assets and mission objectives; benefits which will be useful for future Navy AUV operations. 

SeeTrack Neptune can be run through SeeTrack Military, used by Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and Clearance Divers around the world to achieve success in managing their off-board assets during dangerous and demanding missions.

Bluefin Acquires SeeByte Adding New Software Capabilities to Maritime Robotics Portfolio  

QUINCY, Mass. and EDINBURGH, Scotland (Oct. 7, 2013)—Bluefin Robotics, a provider of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs), announced today that it has acquired SeeByte, Ltd., developer of autonomous platform software that enhances the user experience and the capabilities of underwater sensors, vehicles and systems. SeeByte, headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bluefin. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Bluefin is owned by Battelle, a leading independent science and technology organization committed to solving some of the world's toughest challenges in national security, energy, the environment and healthcare.

The combined companies will offer a complete suite of autonomy products for surface vehicles and underwater vehicles, both remotely-operated and unmanned. Together, Bluefin Robotics and SeeByte will have full life-cycle capability from R&D through design and manufacture to field operations and will operate globally in both defense and commercial markets.  

“Bluefin and SeeByte have worked together for more than five years developing software and capabilities for Bluefin platforms like the Hovering Autonomous Underwater Vehicle and Bluefin-21,” said David P. Kelly, President and CEO of Bluefin Robotics. “Bringing these two companies together will allow us to bring integrated expertise in vehicle control, low-level vehicle to high-level mission autonomy, sensor processing, operator interface, and power subsystems to our customers.

SeeByte will continue to provide open architecture, platform-agnostic software products and support for clients across all market sectors, especially in the defense sector and commercial oil and gas industry. The development team will continue to support and evolve products such as SeeTrack Military, SeeTrack AutoTracker and SeeTrack CoPilot. All SeeByte staff and offices will be retained.

“We are thrilled to join the Bluefin team,” said Dr. Bob Black, CEO of SeeByte. “Together, our two companies will be able to address unmet market needs and drive a new level of capability in the maritime robotics market.”

SeeByte chairman David Farquhar added: “On behalf of SeeByte’s Board and Shareholders, having nurtured SeeByte for over a decade since the spin out from Heriot-Watt University, we are delighted to deliver the company into good hands for the next phase of innovation and growth.”

Royal Navy Purchases Autonomous Systems Software

13 September 2013 - Seebyte Systems has announced that the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) has purchased both SeeTrack Military and SeeTrack Neptune licenses in support of the Royal Navy Maritime Autonomous Systems Trials Team (RN MASTT).

Dstl is focused upon maximising the impact of science and technology for defence and security within the UK. As part of this focus, Dstl has been working closely with the Royal Navy to ensure the delivery of state-of-the-art capabilities. At present, Dstl is working with RN MASTT, formally the Fleet Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Unit (FUUVU), to implement the tactical development of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs), allowing them to be used for underwater force protection.

SeeByte’s SeeTrack Military software is an open-architecture platform solution enabling mission-planning, monitoring, post-processing and reporting of off-board assets such as UUVs and diver hand held system; it is now the tool of choice for sixteen of the world’s navies. SeeTrack Neptune provides a payload control architecture and real time autonomy engine for UUVs to plan and execute well known patterns of behaviour that expedite and optimise single vehicle and multi-vehicle operations. In other words the operators plan for what to do and SeeTrack Neptune decides how to do it. 

Alastair Cormack, Technical Client Manager at SeeByte, commented: “We are privileged to be in a position to assist the Royal Navy with their goal of improving defence and security within the UK. With fifteen other navies currently using SeeTrack software, it is fantastic that the UK MOD will now of state-of-the-art capabilities. At present, Dstl is working with RN MASTT, formally the Fleet Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Unit (FUUVU), to implement the tactical development of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs), allowing them to be used for underwater force protection.

Phil Brown of Dstl Naval Systems also commented: “Recent work performed for the UK MoD’s S&T Programme by SeeByte and BAE Systems, as part of the Osprey Consortia, has resulted in the development of improved autonomous planning and control systems for delivering unmanned mine countermeasures. I am very pleased to say that the latest results of this work are being exploited into the UK RN, with software being provided to the RN MASTT for testing and evaluation.”

SeeTrack Military Upgrade for Royal New Zealand Navy

25 August 2013 - SeeByte has announced that the Royal New Zealand Navy has chosen to purchase three upgraded seats of SeeTrack Military. 

The Royal New Zealand Navy, one of SeeByte’s longest-standing customers, first purchased three seats of SeeTrack Military in 2006. The software is now used globally by 16 of the world’s navies.  

Ron Tyson of New Zealand Offshore Technology (NZOT), who managed the acquisition, commented “It is great news that the Royal New Zealand Navy will have the most up-to-date version of SeeTrack. The software is fast becoming the first choice for Navy EOD & Clearance Divers globally and it is important that we have the full capabilities offered by SeeByte.” 

Ioseba Tena, Sales Manager at SeeByte, commented: “The New Zealand Navy was one of SeeByte’s first customers of SeeTrack Military and we are exceptionally pleased that they have continued to support us.” 

WOCSS James Harper, Commanding Officer of the Mine Counter Measures Team said: "SeeTrack Military is well known as the MCM software tool of choice. The technology has provided us with excellent contact management tools over the years. It is fantastic that we have upgraded to the latest version of SeeTrack and will now have the complete support of SeeByte in utilizing SeeTrack Military to its fullest." 

Through procuring the latest version of SeeTrack Military, the Royal New Zealand Navy will now benefit from an extensive support and maintenance contract, as well as any further upgrades to the software over the forthcoming year. 

SeeByte Sells Five Seats of SeeTrack Military to PBP Enamor Ltd.

14 August 2013 - SeeByte today announced the sale of five seats of SeeTrack Military MCM Evaluator Software to PBP Enamor Ltd, a Poland based company that specializes in the supply and provision of services and design of modern ship automation, communication and navigation systems.

The software package, which comes equipped with additional SeeTrack modules such as the Performance Analysis & Training Tool (PATT), Change Detection Tool and Automatic Target Recognition (ATR), will provide PBP Enamor Ltd with a software solution for rapid on-site analysis and fusion of sensor data for the Polish Navy’s fleet of autonomous underwater vehicles.

SeeTrack Military is an open-architecture platform solution that can be easily adapted for specific user needs. Developed as a mission-planning, monitoring, post-processing and reporting tool, this software technology has been successfully deployed on numerous surveys, military and security operations and scientific experiments.  To date, SeeTrack Military is in use with 16 navies across the globe.

Ocean Server and SeeByte Collaborate for Rapid Environmental Assessment Exercise